NGD - G&L Fallout - Tribute Series

2014 G&L Fallout - Tribute Series (Made in Indonesia)

A 25.5" scale neck on a mahogany body with a P-90 in the neck and a splittable Humbucker in the bridge (controlled via a push/pull coil tap on the Tone knob) - I love this guitar!

Neck - P-90 - a P-90 in the neck position, nothing makes me happier
Middle 1 - P-90 + Full Humbucker - this position just roars
Middle 2 - P-90 + Split Humbucker - reminds me of a Tele in the middle position
Bridge 1 - Full Humbucker - lots of balls, and loads of articulation
Bridge 2 - Split Humbucker - sounds like an excellent middle pickup from a Strat

These pickup configuration options make this an ideal gigging guitar - all of the positions are so useful and you can cover all sorts of ground with them.

The feel of this guitar is just so damn solid! I am amazed with the quality considering that this guitar currently retails for $430 USD. The fit and finish are superb. I'm most blown away by the quality of the pickups (which are American made) and the quality of the hardware. The G&L Saddle Lock bridge is fantastic, I love the design and feel of it - it is likely the best bridge for palm-muting (if you're into that). I'm also thrilled with the feel and quality of the neck and the frets - I'm loving the slightly wider string spacing and the 12" radius.

The style of the pickguard might be my only gripe. Aesthetically, I think it gives the guitar a Danelectro kind of vibe that I'm not overly keen of. With that said, I'm planning to replace the pickguard with a tort one - I think that will improve the look immensely. Alternatively, I think that this guitar would look really nice if the pickguard was split - a pickguard resembling a Tele-shaped one could surround the P-90 and a metal plate could surround the control knobs (much like a Jaguar).

What else can I say? The stars have truly aligned with this instrument - quality, versatility, and affordability. This guitar is just such a workhorse!

Ryan

This Fallout you have Ryan is beautiful looking. Thank you for sharing except I'm starting to want one again.....

I keep reading and hearing about the versatility of this guitar which makes it all the more tempting.

How come that 1st string pickup screw is cranked in so far on the P90?

Hey Ryan1987, that is a sharp looking Fallout.
Personally, I like the cream pickguard against the black.
What is the yamaha toaster oven sitting on top of the princeton??

Hey Ryan1987, that is a sharp looking Fallout.
Personally, I like the cream pickguard against the black.
What is the yamaha toaster oven sitting on top of the princeton??

That would be a Yamaha THR10C - in my mind, the best 'bedroom' amp on the market (and this coming from someone who swore that he'd only ever use tube amps).

How come that 1st string pickup screw is cranked in so far on the P90?

Good eye! I missed that, and I thought that I had gone over this guitar in extraordinary OCD-level detail. I'll have to have that addressed when I give the Fallout its first set-up.

Honestly, I posted this 'NGD' in every guitar forum of which I am a member. I feel very strongly about this guitar and I want to spread the word as much as possible. I know that many people have commented and mentioned that they hadn't heard of this model previously - so I'm excited to turn people on to something that may be new to them and also may suit their needs.

To me, this guitar is far greater than the sum of its parts. I think it's really a fantastic and unique design - and, for me personally, it incorporated a lot of specs that I enjoy -

It took an Epiphone Casino (and later an Epiphone '56 Les Paul GT) for me to fall in love with P-90's (in particular, in the neck position). The Fallout has this covered.
It took a Fender Jaguar for me to appreciate the comfort of playing an offset guitar body (for me, it's the best for both sitting and standing). The Fallout has this covered too.
It took a Telecaster for me to appreciate the sonic aspects of a hardtail bridge and the impact that it has on tone and sustain. Again, I bring you the Fallout.
It took a Stratocaster for me to know that a 25.5" scale neck is my preference. Again, Fallout.

In my mind, the Fallout combines the best aspects of all of the above guitar models (obviously this is only my personal opinion though). I love having a Gibson-ish pickup configuration in a sleek design that feels very Fender-ish (especially in terms of the neck). I say, dare to be different - in a lot of ways, there has not been much in the way of successful guitar design innovation (at least with regards to new body styles) for a few decades now - so I'd like to support this particular model for that reason as well.

This is my first G&L and I'm so thrilled with the quality of what I've received (especially considering the value that their 'Tribute' line offers). I'm wanting to get my hands on a G&L Legacy in the very near future - likely a Tribute as well, but perhaps a MIA, we'll see. I think that the PTB master tone control system is a vast improvement over that of a traditional Strat and I think that the bridge design is an improvement over the Strat's tremolo system as well. As many have said, if Leo Fender didn't get sick and sell FMIC to CBS, then all of these current G&L guitars would be badged as Fenders. And likely, Standard Strat's would have Leo's updated wiring set-up and bridge design (as per the G&L Legacy's).

For what it's worth though, I'll always have an 'S' style guitar - I just love position 4 (Neck + Middle) too much. Pearl Jam's "Yellow Ledbetter" is my quintessential guitar tone (obviously a clean Strat tone on the intro).

Anyhow though, I know that I've made a lot of bold proclamations in this particular posting - just to reiterate, all of this is strictly my own humble opinion.

Ryan

I hear you Ryan !! ... out of my 12 G&L's my Fallout is my number 1

Ryan, welcome and that is a very nice guitar. I think the Fallouts are simple and functional and do have THAT appeal. It is interesting to read your articulate description as to why you like it. Unfortunately I am not able to articulate as well as to why I like the guitars that I have. I love each one of them. Some can be special though. The only G&L Tribute that I own is my main gigging guitar and it is unlikely that I would part with it. It is the subject of my my neck project post. Everything about that particular guitar is perfect for me although I wish it weighed less, you can't have everything! You will probably end up with a few more G&L's as they show up now and then! -- Darwin

Welcome to the forum Ryan and congratulations on your Fallout! I only have one G&L but it is a very special to me ASAT Classic. I know what you mean when you find the one for you.

How come that 1st string pickup screw is cranked in so far on the P90?

Come to think of it - and this may be a very dumb question - but can I just adjust that pole piece myself using a small screwdriver?

Or is it more complicated than that? Do I have to remove the pickup? Could I damage it by trying to adjust the pole piece (given that I don't have much experience with pickups specifically)?

Thanks,

Ryan

How come that 1st string pickup screw is cranked in so far on the P90?

Come to think of it - and this may be a very dumb question - but can I just adjust that pole piece myself using a small screwdriver?

Thanks,

Ryan

Yes. The higher the pole piece, the more output from that string.

adjust them to have equal output with the other strings or tailor them for your own sound

Hey Ryan

Glad to hear you're enjoying the Fallout - I also have a lot of love for this guitar. Hard to find in the UK, they seem to have flown under the radar over here. Had some issues with her when she arrived (I had to buy blind). There was no locking screw in the saddle lock bridge and the push/pull pot was not working. These were sorted by my own tech when I had her set up and now she's my go to guitar - fantastic tonal range. The only changes from stock I have made were to add straplock buttons and replace the jack socket (which was not great from day one). I also scored a neckplate with the G&L logo.

I like the pickguard shape but don't know why they are all that nice cream colour on the rosewood fiongerboard versions where mine is brilliant white. Might get around to changing that someday...

Cheers,

RB

Pics taken by the dealer before he shipped:

+1 on the Tribute Fallout! I took delivery of mine 3 weeks ago - one of the clear orange over swamp ash limited edition Tributes they have at Full Compass (pointed out to me in another thread here)! Its true I had to tighten some things, like the tuner nuts and the nut holding the input jack, but that was done in 5 min and has happened to me for much more expensive guitars.

Otherwise I would happily sign the original post in this thread! Its a very nice guitar. And as for the limited edition ... a Tribute Fallout, with wood normally only used on MIA Fallouts, in a finish considered a Premium finish for MIA G&Ls, that used to sell for 50 $ more than a standard tribute fallout, and currently sells for 80 $ LESS !!! I mean, how was I supposed to resist ?!

This thread is kicking up my Fallout GAS again. Ryan, thanks for the review. I just acquired my first P90 geetar last year and I am really impressed with the versatility of those pickups.

I agree with your take on the Yam toaster oven too. Quite a little box of fun, versatile and easy to use. Acoustics sound pretty good through it too.

Welcome to the forum all of you Fallout fretters! I would be hard pressed to pick my fave. I already have a black & white Legacy so the Sonic or Clear Orange would probably have an edge. Tonecave, you will need to post pics of your clear orange. They are very cool.

Will post some pictures as soon as I get a minute to take them ...

Meanwhile, I just noticed FullCompass posted a video review a few days ago ...
http://youtu.be/zM9dbolNI-o

Just to be clear, I am in no way associated with FullCompass, and have only bought from them once so far (which worked fine) - so please dont mistake this as an advertisement for the shop, I only want to share info about the guitar, which is only available from them.

Hey Ryan,

Congrats on the Fallout, she's a beauty! Ya know black guitars sound better. Appreciate yer detailed run down, this let's us know what you're digging most. This is just giving me GAS for something other than an ASAT. (did I just say that )

Play on and keep the reports coming.

Well, I'm doing it!

I literally just got back from the Post Office - I took the pickguard off of my Fallout (Tribute Series - Made in Indonesia in 2014) and shipped it to Chandler Music's Pickguard Heaven.

My Fallout is Gloss Black and I'm still debating between the following two materials -

Option 1 - Group E - Material # 41 - Tortoise Shell (Brown) 4-ply
Option 2 - Group E - Material # 109 - Red "Reissue" Tortoise Shell 3-ply

Anyhow, the original pickguard from my Fallout should arrive in California early next week (approx. Tuesday March 24).

Ryan

well, here's how the brown tortoise looks on black...
i kinda like it

well, here's how the brown tortoise looks on black...
i kinda like it

I think that your Legacy looks mighty sharp - and brown tort was definitely my first instinct.

But then, I was looking at their example of the red tort...and it looked quite nice too!

Instinctively, I want to say that the color red matches better with black. In other words, maybe red and black go together better than brown and black - but maybe this isn't true with pickguards. And a tort pattern that is 'extremely' brown or 'extremely' red might not look great. Perhaps a subtle blend of the two would be best - but, alas, I can only pick one option...

Thanks!

Ryan

Ryan, here's another example for you of a brown tortoise shell guard on my black ASAT Classic.





I think the brown 4-ply looks great with the black.

Greg.

well, here's how the brown tortoise looks on black...
i kinda like it

I think that your Legacy looks mighty sharp - and brown tort was definitely my first instinct.

But then, I was looking at their example of the red tort...and it looked quite nice too!

Instinctively, I want to say that the color red matches better with black. In other words, maybe red and black go together better than brown and black - but maybe this isn't true with pickguards. And a tort pattern that is 'extremely' brown or 'extremely' red might not look great. Perhaps a subtle blend of the two would be best - but, alas, I can only pick one option...

Thanks!

Ryan

red and black = rock and roll

It seems that the pictures from my original post disappeared, so I'll repost them here.

I have to say, I'm still infatuated with this guitar - it's an absolutely fantastic instrument!

Earlier this week I received a new pickguard (from Pickguard Heaven) - 4-ply brown tort.

Our temperatures have changed dramatically here in southwestern Ontario, so I recently dropped the guitar off for a set-up with my favourite luthier and they'll slap on the new tort pickguard for me as well (new pics will follow!).

Thanks!

Ryan

Well, the new tort pickguard (from Pickguard Heaven) has been installed!

Before –





After –

Looks FANTASTIC! I am dying to get my USA Fallout, vintage white with the tort pickguard. Post some sound clips, if you can. Like I said, I'm dying here.

Looks FANTASTIC! I am dying to get my USA Fallout, vintage white with the tort pickguard. Post some sound clips, if you can. Like I said, I'm dying here.

not trying to make your wait seem longer than it already is ... But I couldn't get through the day without my Fallout , seriously considering getting my first duplicate G&L with the Fallout ...... that Lime Green Fallout on Facebook would look great next to my Hugger Orange Fallout , or Yellow Fever Fallout with blk pg and a wide C neck , or black Fallout with natural wood binding maple wide C neck .... hard to pick a color but I'm thinking I really want the wide C neck this time and the SS series can't be ordered with the wide C ..... but that Lime Green almost makes up for #1 neck .... fricken can't decide ...lol


the new PG looks great Ryan !!

I have to say, I'm still infatuated with this guitar - it's an absolutely fantastic instrument!

Have to agree with that - PG Looking good Ryan!

Rb

I think a tribute Fallout is my next guitar. I may have to sell something first, probably my Tribute Bluesboy. Between a Fallout, USA Legacy and tribute ASAT Special, I don't think there's a tone id want that I couldn't get.

Hi All,

Thought I share the current state of my clear orange tribute fallout, as requested earlier in this thread. It came from full compass with a white perl pickguard - which looked great already, but a bit too flashy for me, and, well, I just cant help tinkering with my guitars ...

I ordered a black pickguard for an american fallout from pickguardheaven, and asked them to not drill the screw holes, which I then copied from my original pickguard. The pickguard came with sharp cut edges, which I then sanded over and buffed. It was already shielded around the electronics cavity, with the holes for pots and switch pre-drilled.
While I was at it I replaced the electronics with a push-push pot for coil splitting and a CTS pot for volume, and also installed a SwitchCraft switch. The guitar now also has a SD TB-4 in the bridge, like the american models. I should say there was nothing wrong with the original pickup and electronics - maybe the switch was a bit wobbly, but I am sure I could have used it for a long time without problems. This is really just tinkering, the guitar was just fine to start with. Push-Push instead of push-pull is just personal preference.
Initially I wanted to change the pickup cover of the P90 to a metal one (or metal looking plastic one) as well, but I could not get the black one off at first (stuck on from wax potting, will only come off with a little warming up - thanks again to Craig, for pointing this out to me in response to another thread), and now I grew fond of the current look.
And just in case someone is wondering about the custom speed dial rubber band around the volume pot ... I nicked that off one of my son's abandoned Lego cars.

[image]http://www.guitarsbyleo.com/GALLERY2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=14563&g2_serialNumber=6[/image]
[image]http://www.guitarsbyleo.com/GALLERY2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=14564&g2_serialNumber=6[/image]

Hope you enjoy the pictures!

ToneCave,

I like what you have done to your guitar. Looks really sharp.

I have the same model.

Peace.

Thanks! Cosmetics aside, its just a great guitar!

Nice looking fallout. I'd say it's a good October guitar!